The present application relates to photonic sampling, and more specifically to an optical sampler that provides encoding capability.
Analog-to-digital conversion is well known as a process in which a continuous analog signal, which theoretically has an infinite number of values or states, is converted to a digital signal, which has a finite number of values or states. Typically, in analog-to-digital conversion, the analog signal is first sampled. The sampled analog signal is represented as a series of pulses. Each pulse has a magnitude equal to the magnitude of the analog signal at a discrete moment in time. After sampling, the discrete time signal is then quantized by rounding the value of each pulse to the closest one of a finite number of values. The resulting signal is a digital version of the analog signal.
Sampling may be accomplished by electronic sampling techniques that are well known in the art. However, electronic sampling is limited by the speed at which the electronic circuitry can be clocked to sample the analog signal. Additionally, temporal jitter in the occurrence of the sampling clock may also limit the analog-to-digital conversion performance by causing non-uniform sampling, which will increase the quantization error.
Fortunately, sampling jitter limitations can be overcome by using photonic sampling. Photonic sampling makes use of ultra-short laser pulses with high temporal stability to sample an analog electrical input. Compared to electronic samplers, the photonic approach is capable of shorter sampling windows (sub-picosecond) and higher sampling rates, approaching 100 gigasamples per second (GSPS), and thus can sample wideband analog inputs.
One type of photonic sampler may be provided by a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Mach-Zehnder interferometers are typically constructed within a slab of transparent material using processes similar to those used for constructing semiconductor devices. The waveguides used within a Mach-Zehnder interferometer are typically constructed from lithium niobate, due to its inherent electro-optically active characteristics.
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer 100 constructed within a slab 101 of electro-optically active material is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, optical pulses 10 entering the device 100 are split through a xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d splitter 111 into two directions and are directed into the two arms 121, 123 of the device 100. The optical pulses in each arm 121, 123 have one-half the power of the original pulses 10. An analog signal 20 is applied to a modulation input 170. The modulation input 170 is coupled to electrodes 131 that are placed adjacent to the upper arm 121 of the device 100. Application of the analog signal 20 to the modulation input 170 causes an electric field to be induced across the upper arm 121. The arms 121, 123 of the device 100 comprise material, such as lithium niobate, that changes its refractive index under the influence of an electric field. So when the analog signal 20 is applied, the refractive index of the material within the upper arm 121 will change and thus change the speed of propagation of the optical pulses in that arm 121. Hence, the phase of the optical pulses in the upper arm 121 will change in relation to the optical pulses in the lower arm 123.
If no electric signal is applied to the device 100, the optical pulses are recombined in phase at the xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d junction 113. Since the signals in each arm 121, 123 are coherent with each other, they reinforce during the recombination, and optical pulses 30 at the original strength are output. If an electric signal is applied, there will be a phase difference between the pulses routed through the upper arm 121 and the pulses routed through the lower arm 123. When the optical pulses recombine, some or all of the optical power will be lost because the signals will interfere with each other. If the phase difference is a full 180 degrees, then the output will be zero. Hence, the pulse output 30 by the device 100 will have an optical power proportional to the analog signal 20 applied to the device 100. Thus, the optical output 30 will represent a sampled optical version of the analog input signal 20.
Another type of photonic sampler may be provided by a dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer. As shown in FIG. 2, the dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 has a 3 dB directional coupler 213 at the point where the two interferometer arms 121, 123 recombine. If an input optical pulse undergoes the same phase shift in the two arms 121, 123, then an optical pulse is produced at both of the outputs 207, 209 of the device 200. This is because the optical pulse excites only the in-phase, that is, even, mode of the two waveguide guide coupler structure 213. If the optical pulse undergoes relative phase shifts of 180xc2x0, or xcfx80, again an optical pulse is produced at both of the outputs 207, 209 of the device 200. This is because only the odd mode of the two waveguide coupler structure 213 is excited. Although the amplitudes of the optical fields exiting the two coupler outputs are complementary, they have the same intensities. If the optical pulses undergo relative phase shifts of xc2x190xc2x0, or xc2x1xcfx80/2, in the interferometer arms 121, 123, an optical pulse is produced at only one of the outputs 207, 209 of the device. This is because both the even and odd modes of the two-guide coupler 213 are now excited, with equal amplitudes. Whether the upper output 207 or lower output 209 of the device 200 transmits a pulse depends on whether the phase shift is +90xc2x0 or xe2x88x9290xc2x0. If the optical pulses in the interferometer arms 121, 123 undergo intermediate amounts of relative phase shift, then some, unequal, amount of optical power is transmitted from both outputs of the coupler 207, 209.
A conventional dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 is usually operated such that an analog input voltage of 0 volts applied at the modulation input 170 results in the in-phase condition. An analog input voltage corresponding to xc2x1Vxcfx80/2, which is somewhat higher than the full-scale ADC voltage, results in the xc2x190xc2x0 phase shift condition. The length of the coupler is typically designed to achieve a net phase shift of xcfx80/2 or xcfx80 between the two coupler modes, depending on the construction of the coupler and how much mode conversion occurs at the input and output ends of the coupler. Thus, the dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer provides a pair of optical signals which represent a sampled differential optical version of the analog input signal. The optical signal pair may be converted back to a single sampled signal by using a pair of photo detectors (not shown) coupled with a comparator (not shown).
A problem with the dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 depicted in FIG. 2 is fabricating the directional coupler section 213 such that the signals output from the two interferometer arms 121, 123 are properly coupled to produce a differential signal output. Careful manufacture of the lengths of the two waveguides in the directional coupler section will produce the desired coupling. Another method of obtaining the desired coupling is described by Nazarathy et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,309, issued Oct. 12, 1993, and shown in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer 700 FIG. 7. Nazarathy et al. control electrodes 220 added to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer structure depicted in FIG. 2 to arrive at the structure depicted in FIG. 7. The control electrodes 220 adjust the splitting ratio between the signal output by the interferometer arms 121, 123. According to Nazarathy et al., an exemplary splitting ratio would be 50/50. If no phase shift is induced in the interferometer arms 121, 123 and the directional coupler section has a signal ratio of 50/50, equal intensity pulses will be produced at the outputs 207, 209, as described above. Generally, Nazarathy et al. disclose applying a constant DC voltage at the control input 770, so that the voltage applied at the control electrodes 220 is adjusted to ensure that the splitting ratio is correct for the wavelength of light transmitted within the interferometer 700.
Twichell et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,875, xe2x80x9cLinearized Optical Modulator,xe2x80x9d issued Sep. 21, 1999, describe a photonic sampler that uses an interferometer to provide two modulated optical outputs. Twichell et al. disclose an interferometer configured to provide an electrical field across both arms of the interferometer to increase the phase shift provided within the interferometer. The outputs of the interferometer are coupled to photodetectors to convert the optical signals to electrical signals. Twichell et al. disclose the use of a signal processor to correct for any errors introduced in the sampling process. The signal processor may, therefore, correct for some of the signal errors described above.
A conventional dual-output Mach-Zehnder interferometer may be cascaded with a conventional directional coupler switch to apply a binary code to the sampled optical signal. FIG. 3 shows a directional coupler switch 300 constructed within the slab 101 of electro-optically active material. In a directional coupler switch 300, two waveguides 301, 303 are positioned adjacent each other in a coupling section 310 such that light from one waveguide 301, 303 can couple to the other waveguide 301, 303 within the coupling section 310. The length of the coupling section 310 will determine how much light will couple from one waveguide to the other. Electrodes 323 are positioned adjacent the waveguides 301, 303. A voltage is applied to the electrodes 323 from a control input 370. The coupling section 310 length may be chosen such that if no voltage is applied at the control input 370, the switch 300 is operated in its xe2x80x9cbarxe2x80x9d state, that is light entering the upper input port 305 will exit the upper output port 315 (and light entering the lower input port 307 will exit the lower output port 317). When sufficient voltage is applied at the control input 370, the switch is operated in the xe2x80x9ccrossxe2x80x9d state, that is light entering the upper input port 305 will cross over and exit the lower output port 317 (and light entering the lower input port 307 will exit the upper output port 315).
For coding an optically sampled signal, the directional coupler switch 300 is used to switch signals between the upper output port 315 and the lower output port 317. For a differential signal, such switching serves to change the polarity of the signal. The directional coupler switch 300 typically operates in its bar state when zero voltage is applied such that the length of the coupling section is selected to achieve a net phase shift of xcfx80. In this state, a voltage can be applied to change the switch into its cross state where the net phase shift is now xcfx80/2. The binary code associated with the bar or cross state of the switch depends on the convention adopted in the design.
A typical binary code sequence may be a Hadamard sequence. A Hadamard sequence consists exclusively of plus and minus ones. Hence, the binary switching capability of the directional coupler switch described above provides the capability of multiplying a differential optical signal transmitted through the coupler by the plus and minus ones of a Hadamard sequence. However, other coding sequences known in the art may also be used to encode a pulsed optical signal transmitted through the coupler.
As shown in FIG. 4, the directional coupler switch 300 may be coupled to the output of the dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 to provide the capability to apply a code sequence to the optical pulses output by the interferometer. The dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 is coupled to a directional coupler switch 300 using a pair of optical waveguides 401. Sampled optical pulses are created by applying a stream of optical pulses to the input of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200 and applying an analog signal to the modulation input 170. Application of a sequence of code pulses to the control input 370 for the directional coupler switch 300 controls the switching of pulses between the output ports and thus provides the capability for encoding the sampled optical pulses sampled by the Mach-Zehnder interferometer 200.
It is evident to one skilled in the art that the cascaded two-device approach requires relatively long waveguides, since two directional coupler sections are needed, a first section for the interferometer to create the differential outputs and a second section to provide for encoding the differential outputs. The overall length of the coupler sections must be sufficient to produce at least a 3xcfx80/2 relative phase shift between the two coupler modes. Furthermore, sections of separating and approaching waveguides must be included between the interferometer and switch. These sections also are long, to avoid the excessive scattering loss that would otherwise result from a more abruptly curving or bent waveguide.
These two devices 200, 300 could be fabricated on separate substrates and optically connected by means of optical fiber sections 401. Such a construct is functional, but cumbersome. Also, the lengths of the optical fiber sections for the dual outputs should be matched. Alternatively, the two devices could be fabricated on the same substrate. However, because of the limited size of common substrates, typically 3 inches for devices fabricated on lithium niobate, each device needs to be fairly short and, thus, requires higher modulation voltages.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a single device that provides both optical sampling and the capability to encode the sampled optical signal. Additionally, such a device should be capable of being fabricated on a single substrate and use relatively low modulation voltages.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for sampling analog signals with optical pulses and further encoding the optical samples. An additional object of the present invention is to provide such an encoding sampler on a single substrate.
A photonic encoding sampler according to the present invention is provided by coupling a dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a dual input/dual output directional coupler switch. The dual input/dual output directional coupler switch takes the place of the 3 dB directional coupler used in a conventional dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Since only one directional coupler is needed to implement the necessary sampling and encoding, the overall structure is shorter than that provided by the prior art. Construction of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer on a single substrate is well known in the art, so the present invention can be constructed on a single substrate since the directional coupler of the conventional Mach-Zehnder interferometer is merely replaced by a directional coupler switch.
The directional coupler switch may be controlled by a binary code signal, which allows the inputs to the switch to be either directed straight through the switch or to be crossed to opposite output ports. The Mach-Zehnder interferometer section of the present invention provides for converting the analog signal to a sequence of pairs of differential optical pulses. The directional coupler switch provides the capability for reversing the sign associated with a pair of differential optical pulses.
One code sequence particularly useful with the present invention is a Hadamard code sequence. Hadamard code sequences consist of a series of plus or minus ones. Therefore, using a Hadamard sequence to control the directional coupler switch, which controls the direction of outputs to the dual output ports of the switch, multiplies the optical samples by the plus and minus ones of Hadamard sequence.
A first embodiment of the present invention provides an photonic encoding sampler comprising an optical interferometer means for modulating an input optical signal with a first analog signal to produce a first optical interferometer signal and a second optical interferometer signal, the first optical interferometer signal shifted in phase from the second optical interferometer signal, the phase shift proportional to the magnitude of the first analog signal, and a directional coupler switch receiving the first optical interferometer signal and the second optical interferometer signal, the directional coupler switch switching the first optical interferometer signal and the second optical interferometer signal between a first directional coupler output and a second directional coupler output according to a second analog signal to produce a pair of differential optical output signals. The optical interferometer means preferably comprises a single input dual output Mach-Zehnder interferometer, but other interferometer means known in the art may be used, such as a Fabry-Perot interferometer or polarization interferometric modulator. The directional coupler switch may comprise an optical directional coupler, a fused taper coupler, twin code fiber couplers, planar waveguide couplers, or other such directional coupler switches known in the art.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an encoding optical waveguide sampler, for sampling an analog signal and coding the analog signal with a code signal, comprising: a Mach-Zehnder interferometer section having a single optical input and two differential optical outputs, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer section controlled by the analog signal, and a directional coupler switch section having two optical inputs coupled to the two optical outputs of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer section and having two optical outputs, the directional coupler controlled by the code signal.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides a method for sampling an analog input signal and applying a code to the sampled analog signal, the method comprising the steps of: providing a stream of optical pulses having optical power; splitting said stream of optical pulses into two separate streams of optical pulses in two separate optical paths; phase shifting the two streams of optical pulses in relation to each other in proportion to the analog input signal; directing the two phase-shifted streams of optical pulses into a directional coupler switch having first and second optical input ports and first and second optical output ports, wherein one stream of optical pulses is directed into the first input port and the other stream is directed into the second input port; and controlling the directional coupler switch with the code so as to transfer a portion of the optical power of the optical pulses applied at the first optical input port to the first optical output port and the remaining portion of optical power to the second optical output port and to transfer a portion of the optical power of the optical pulses applied at the second optical input to the second optical port output and the remaining portion to the first optical output port. The outputs of the directional coupler switch comprise a differential optical signal representation of the encoded analog signal.
The present invention also provides the capability to apply two levels of modulation to an optical signal. The first level of modulation may comprise modulating a pulsed optical signal, as discussed above, and the second level of modulation may be used to further shape the modulated signal. Alternatively, both levels of modulation may be used to provide transfer function shaping for an optical signal transmitted through an apparatus according to the present invention, such that a more linearized modulation transfer function is achieved. Accordingly, a further embodiment of the present invention provides a method for modulating an optical signal with a first analog signal and a second analog signal, said method comprising the steps of: providing an optical signal having optical power; splitting said optical signal into two separate optical signals in two separate optical paths; phase shifting the two separate optical signals in relation to each other in proportion to the first analog signal; directing the two phase-shifted optical signals into a directional coupler switch having a first and second optical input and a first and second optical output, wherein one phase-shifted optical signal is directed into the first input and the other phase-shifted optical signal is directed into the second input port; controlling the directional coupler switch with the second analog so as to transfer a portion of the optical power of the optical signal applied at the first optical input to the first optical output and the remaining portion of optical power to the second optical output and to transfer a portion of the optical power of the optical signal applied at the second optical input to the second optical output and the remaining portion to the first optical output. The outputs of the directional coupler switch then comprise a differential optical signal that has been modulated by the first analog signal and the second analog signal.